Survival in Shades of Orange
First published in Analog, this story was written as the 24-hour story challenge at the Writers of the Future workshop.
The message arrived a day before the ship’s insertion in to orbit around Vittoria. Mauro went to do a routine check on the life support AI and found it on his infopad, which he’d left to charge in the ship’s cramped control centre.
The message was from Domingo Industries executive Raul Sondahl himself and was directed urgent and confidential: Mauro Berges only.
Mauro took the infopad to the bridge, where the comforting green flashing lights were almost drowned by the eerie yellowish glow of Vittoria. Right now, the planet took up a huge half-lit circle on the forward viewscreen which grew bigger every day.
He reluctantly turned to his inf
